At least six protesters were injured in police action on Wednesday during a protest in Manipur’s Imphal district to implement the National Register of Citizens (NRC) or a similar mechanism ahead of the census in the state witnessing ethnic violence.
Hundreds of people took to the streets under the slogan of “Fair Demarcation of Boundaries”, a civic body, and marched towards the sitting Manipur Parliament carrying placards. They said a census, without first identifying illegal immigrants, would undermine the practice.
The confrontation broke out after Manipur Police and Rapid Action Forces blocked the protesters and fired tear gas shells. The six demonstrators were slightly injured, were given first aid, and were released from the hospital.
Congress MP K Megachandra raised the matter in the Assembly and urged the government to postpone the census exercise until peace is restored and the internally displaced persons are resettled.
Prime Minister Y Kemchand informed the House that the census will take some time as preparatory measures are scheduled to be completed.
Home Minister K Govindas said the Supreme Court was dealing with challenges related to delimitation of electoral constituencies in the state. He added that several groups opposed the 2001 census data for demarcating the border, claiming it was inaccurate.
Govindas said the ongoing conflict that began in March 2023 affected administrative processes, including the population census. He added that the state government has taken steps to identify illegal immigrants and border security measures are being strengthened.
Lorimbam Pramo, a resident, said the census should not be conducted until the illegal immigrants are identified through the Norwegian Refugee Council or a similar mechanism. “Until illegal immigrants are properly identified, conducting a census will not be appropriate,” she said.
